chatsextant

emccarl wrote:Can you give a brief explanation as to the difference between this offering, the Holystone and the Wheelhouse?

2008 Central Coast Zinfandel- This is your everyday favorite Zinfandel. It's a lighter style fruit forward Zinfandel with notes of vanilla. This wine does not fill you up and offers the opportunity to switch to a heavier wine or hard liquor. This is my BTG wine for when I get off work and want to unwind with a cocktail.

2008 Wheelhouse Zinfandel- This is our flagship Zin. It is a multi-dimensional wine with many layers including pepper, spice, and everything nice. The tobacco leaf aromas draw you in and never let you go.

Borealis

Let me start with the disclaimer that I've been looking forward to and dreading this day for 18 months. I took a wine tasting course in college, but that was long ago and far far away. These days I fall more into the "I know what I like and I know when I like it category", without a lot of analysis of how or why. I do some home brewing on the side (beer, not wine) and I'd say that my palette tends to prefer bitter and savory, though my nose likes hops and some floral notes. I like big bold reds, and I like dry whites in the summer, sometimes (gasp) with seltzer after working in the yard for a couple of hours.

Ok, that's out of the way and you should have some idea of where I am coming from. I got my ticket, and the wine, this morning. Temps are reasonable and the wine was able to rest all day. Things were hectic with the wife and kids so I decided to make grilled pizza. Wheat dough with mini pepperoni and olives for the kids, basil, roasted red peppers, olives, and mini pepperoni bits for the missus and myself. To accompany, a spinach salad with orange bell pepper, tomato, and canned beets.

First Pour:
dark ruby red, nice legs
Light tannins and low astringency, a hint of sweetness, or maybe it is the berry nose. The wine fills the mouth but swallows clean with little aftertaste and an alcoholic tingle. It is hard to identify individual tasting notes. Definitely berry, but It's easier to say what it isn't. No tobacco, no pepper (black or bell), no oak.

My wife says: oaky, raspberry flavor, maybe strawberry as well. She liked it,"it was tasty". My son said to say that he liked it (though he did not try it, he's 7!)

After about 30 minutes the food was ready, and the wine had opened up. To me it was now too sweet. The berry aroma was strong and made the wine a little cloying, though I felt that it was as much in my head as in my mouth (because of the nose). I suspect that it needed a stronger pairing: more spice and more bold flavor. I tried red pepper flakes on the pizza and then hot sauce on my crust, to no avail. Chips and salsa did not balance It either.

For dessert we had Pepperidge farm dark chocolate chip cookies with brownie bits. The bitter chocolate flavor was a much better match for the Zin and balanced out the berry taste.

Final thoughts: a good wine, one that I liked for technical reasons, but did not enjoy much because it is not my preferred style. Food plays a big part. Drink it with food that is strong and/or spicy. My wife, who prefers a lighter red, liked it a lot.

I have a glass or so left and will try to update tomorrow with additional impressions.

aharrover

Allowed to stand 30 minutes, opened and poured. In glasses 30 minutes before tasting. First impression is that this is an elegant, well-made wine. Smooth mouth feel with a slightly bitter taste on the front of the palate. Full mouth feel but short finish. Soft, integrated tanins.

Soft nose. There are fruits there but not a wild, brambly fruit nose as one might expect from classic zin. Missing are wild cherries, blackberries and blueberries.

Overall a very pleasant, well-made wine but definitely not a classic zin flavor profile. If you’re looking for wild, crazy fruity flavors this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a well-made, balanced wine that drinks more like a merlot, it’s a solid choice. Drink it sooner than later.

Trcseb

Yet Another LabRat report...in which in am honored to receive the famed Golden Ticket.

1. Poured into glass immediately after opening and notice it does have a very nice, clear ruby color that is very inviting. the nose is pleasant as well. soft fruity bouquet with the unmistakable hint of pepper.

2. First sip was fruity- but hot. not overpowering but definitely there. after letting it sit for a couple of minutes the vanilla (mixed with a nice hint of oak) is starting to come through, it blends with the fruit nicely and begins to balance itself out.

3. After ten minutes or so the focus of the zin is starting show itself. I am beginning to like this wine very much. I really notice the fruit on the mid palate while the vanilla shines through for the finish. I'm not getting so much pepper anymore. Very nice!

4. Glass number 2,3 and so on--
Having lived in the Dry Creek region of Sonoma County for quite some time time now I can say that I've had my share of Zin's. This is a decent bottle of wine. I m enjoying it without food and it suits me fine. A nice summer sipper if you will. It has a nice price point and if you wish can be a good everyday wine yet you could bring this to a gathering and not feel like a chump.

I hope this helps out...If I didn't cover enough please comment and i will try to answer any questions.
TC

jamesn00

My taste in zin is all over the place. From more restrained (think Ridge) all the way up to Carlisle. The most important thing for me is that it doesn't taste hot - as long as it hides its alcohol well I am happy even if it is a 15+% monster.

Opened as soon as I got home. Popped and poured a glass.
Initial thought was that this was nice. Varietally correct (tastes like a zin). Some brambles, mostly dark fruit but with a nice edge of acidity.

Drank this with a beef stew and it paired very nicely. It held up well to the rich stew and wasn't overwhelmed at all.

Once the stew was finished and we were drinking the wine on its own (and it had been open 30 mins) the wine showed a little heat on the finish. It was also a little simplistic.

Now - 3 1/2 hours later, having another glass, it has dumbed down more. It has lost some of the fruit and become a little bit more monolithic.

Overall - as a sub $20 bottle of wine this is ok. Not overly complex but very drinkable with some very pleasant qualities. IMO it is much better with food than on its own.

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

mikefan

Long-time woot-watcher, first-time woot-buyer, so happy to see an offering from one of my favorite vinyards! I became a member of their wine club after a tasting last year in their Paso Robles vinting space, and have been very happy with everything they've sent since. Especially being their prices are within reach of the average folk like myself for really fine quality juice.

What I enjoy the most about their wines is that they focus on balance foremost. They do have their big jammy zin (this isn't it), which is balanced in the way of that genre, but most of what they do is more in the south Rhone tradition, which is why a wine like this can be over 14% (something I generally avoid) without the slightest heat. To me, they are definitely more French than Californian in style, while still retaining their terroir.

So, this is more of a general endorsement than praise for this specific bottle, but based on my experience with their quality I'm super happy to have a chance to pick these up at the price!!!

ddeuddeg

rpm wrote:C'mon richard, 'sextant', 'wheelhouse'.... You are English. Hints: Hearts of Oak. Britannia Rules the Waves. We don't want to fight, but by Jingo if we do, we've got the men, we've got the ships, we've got the money, too! England expects that every man will do his duty!

Think back to your junior sailing celestial navigation class:

sextant: an instrument for determining latitude, 1620s, from Mod.L. sextans, said to have been coined c.1600 by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, from L. sextans "a sixth," from sex "six" (see six). So called because the sextans has a graduated arc equal to a sixth part of a circle.

I took richard's post with a giant salt shaker, assuming he simply couldn't find a tongue-in-cheek icon.
I could be wrong, but in either case, thanks for your charm- and information-filled post.

"Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge". - Hester Browne

chatsextant

Thank you Wooters for all your comments, reports and support. This has been our first time on Wine.Woot and hopefully will not be our last. We hope you've enjoyed the journey to learning more about Sextant and our 2008 Central Coast Zinfandel. If you are ever in our area please swing by one of our two locations. Come see us in the Happiest Place in America- San Luis Obispo- out in the beautiful Edna Valley. We've got a Gourmet Deli there where you can enjoy a little vino, a little bite to eat and have a great time. If you happen to be visiting Paso Robles, join us at our Barrel Room and Production Facility. Our winemaker Steve Martell is often there and you can do a little barrel sampling. We will have that location open through the end of this year, however Spring of 2012 is going to be a huge year for us. We're opening the doors to our Estate Winery and Hospitality Center on West Hwy 46 between Niner and Grey Wolf. We hope to see you following us on Facebook and Twitter and hope to see you on Wine.Woot again.

adamhersh

chatsextant wrote:Thank you Wooters for all your comments, reports and support. This has been our first time on Wine.Woot and hopefully will not be our last. We hope you've enjoyed the journey to learning more about Sextant and our 2008 Central Coast Zinfandel. If you are ever in our area please swing by one of our two locations. Come see us in the Happiest Place in America- San Luis Obispo- out in the beautiful Edna Valley. We've got a Gourmet Deli there where you can enjoy a little vino, a little bite to eat and have a great time. If you happen to be visiting Paso Robles, join us at our Barrel Room and Production Facility. Our winemaker Steve Martell is often there and you can do a little barrel sampling. We will have that location open through the end of this year, however Spring of 2012 is going to be a huge year for us. We're opening the doors to our Estate Winery and Hospitality Center on West Hwy 46 between Niner and Grey Wolf. We hope to see you following us on Facebook and Twitter and hope to see you on Wine.Woot again.

Been almost three weeks and the tracking doesn't work yet. Has this been sent yet?

davetroup

This was my first wine.woot purchase, and to be honest, I was very disappointed. I am no wine expert, though I have plenty of experience drinking a great many varieties over the years, and I'm sure there's nothing technically wrong with the wine, but it lacks most of the qualities/flavors which I associate with Zinfandel. For my taste, it's too sweet and fruity and rather one-dimensional, and lacks any oak or peppery flavors I particularly like in a Zin.

It's drinkable–but for me, just barely. Disappointing, because I could have paid much less for something I'd have enjoyed more. I'm hesitant to post this because I mean no disrespect to the producers of the wine, I just think it's very atypical and may not meet the expectations of those accustomed to other Zins.

Out of curiosity, I bought a bottle of the pricier Sextant Wheelhouse Zin at Costco for comparison with the "regular" Sextant Zin from Woot. I haven't tried the Wheelhouse yet but will be interested to see if I like it better or not.

Here's hoping the next time I take the plunge on something I can post something a bit more positive.

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